Monday, November 12, 2012

Yes, I Will Call You Out, Melissa George

Social media is aflame this morning over the matter of one Melissa George. The former teen Home and Away star, who has spent much of the past decade living and working overseas, is being excoriated and defended in turns following an incident on morning TV last week, where Ms George bemoaned people referring to her teen soap star status in the 1990s. It must be bloody annoying to have it mentioned in every interview, sure. She's done other things. Time to move on. Ok, she comes across as kind of entitled and rude, sneering at the small minded Australians she left behind - an attittude seen in many expats - when she says "I just need them all to be quiet. If they have nothing intelligent to say, please don't speak to me any more. I'd rather be having a croissant and a little espresso in Paris or walking my French bulldog in New York City". But that's her right. The Australian media can be an irritating pack of noids sometimes.But it's her comments regarding the damage done where she starts to lose my sympathy. Ms George has decided she no longer wants to visit Sydney, that it's all too traumatic. "[T]he stress that this has created in me is not worthy of my health... I just get too upset coming home.''Really? She is stressed to the point of causing damage to her health because people mention her old job? She can't stand being in Sydney in case the media mentions she was Angel? I threw up in my mouth a little. No Ms George, what is traumatic is returning to the town where you were sexually assaulted. It's upsetting to have to drive past the hospital where your baby was stillborn. It is disgusting to be haunted by memories of major trauma in a place. I'm assuming Ms George has had tragedy and sadness in her life - pretty much no one gets past the age of 30 without having something seriously shitty happen to them, or a loved one - so it's astonishing that she could show so little empathy or perspective.

And you know what? As irritating as it is to get asked all these questions, that's life. If I snapped at someone who asked me stupid questions at work, I'd get the sack, or at least some sort of written warning, no matter how "understandable" it may be that I lost patience. You've just gotta suck this stuff up. The world is full of idiots, and sadly you can't deal with them by telling them to stop being stupid. Anyway, I'm sure there are many people today thinking that if Ms George hates Australia so much, then not to let the door hit her backside on the way out. Not me. I think she should be welcome back here, and everyone forbidden to mention Home and Away on pain of torture. Ms George has done plenty of other stellar work to reflect on. Let's have a couple of years of media attention to the artistic legacy of her role in Sugar and Spice.